PESHAWAR, Oct 10: Senior Minister Siraj-ul-Haq has said that five districts of the NWFP have been badly damaged by the earthquake which jolted Pakistan on Saturday, and added that in these areas, many villages had been wiped out and thousands of people were still trapped under the debris.

Talking to a private TV channel, the minister said due to unavailability of machines and closure of roads, relief activities could not be started yet, and added that electricity and telecommunication systems had been badly affected and all important buildings, including schools and hospitals, had been destroyed.

He said that bodies are lying everywhere in the area and those who escaped the disaster are still living under the open sky.

He said that 5,000 injured were admitted to hospitals in Mansehra the other day but due to the shortage of medicines the situation was getting worse.

Mr Haq said that the provincial government had issued Rs200 million for those affected by the earthquake.

He said that the Federal Government had pledged to provide support but as yet they had not received any aid.

He said a team accompanied by the Pakistan Army had been dispatched to Balakot.

Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani is supervising the relief activities himself in the province and making sure that relief goods are being sent to the affected areas.—Online